Tensioning and anchoring device



March 16 1926. w. K. BROWN TENsIoNING AND ANcHoRING DEVICE lfil'ed Feb.14, 1925 Patented Mar. 16., 1926.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM x. Brown, er cameratas .taxa nimmsom, ASSIGNQR roTWAIN PATEM ortica.

SCENIC COMPANY, OF .MNNEABQT-JS, MINNESOTA, A -CORPGRATION OF LtljtlglfSQTA.

Application jled February To all ficher-Lit may conocen: f 'Be 'it knownthat I, XEILMAM K. BnowN, avc-itizen o1 the United lStates, residing atChristmas Lake, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, haveinvented certain new and nsetul Improvements in Tensioni-ng andAnchoring'iDevices; `andi do hereby dec-lare the `following to be a ull,clear, and exact fdescri tion oit :the invention, snch tas wlill ena-blefot-hers skilled the arty to 4`which it appentains to make and `use thesame. 'This vinvention .has for `its main object =to provide anextremely simple but highly eii, cient adjustable r:tensioning andanchoring device .ttor endless fileX-ible inemhers.

."llhe invention y.especially designed :to Ibe used on :the .endless:llenible members oi VVtheatrical lcuarta-in controlling apparatus such,as `disclosed .and set fort-h in the `applicants pending application.tor patent von Curtain :supporting and operating apparatus,77 S.754,091. "In suchapparatus, the .endless `leirible inember, :usually a.rope or .cb'le to which ,ther curtain 1supporting members are attached,will stretch, ot-ten causing the device to jam or l`get Aout of onder.rThis invention .provides an eilicient device capable of wide genera/lusage but especially .adapted :to anchor :the lower yend otsu-ch va'ile-:cible .memiber andfpermit ready adjustment to take rrp `the slackor y-give therein.

t isa more specific object in ak device of this nature to provide achanneled 'frame having apair otradial arms workin-gon the outer sides:thereof with bhe shea-ve for holding said flexible member mountedbetween "said :arms :and wor-king :in fthe channeled portion .o saidltraine. v I

Vlt is a diurrther obz'ectof theinvention to provide fa single :clampingmember for -readily loosening :or securing sal-id arms Yat a desiredangle -to :the ibase orf said trame, whereby the proper tension' on Aanendless flexible member xma 1 lbelohtained;

llt `lis a still `tliurther object to provide a tensioning and anchoringcdevice :capable oit being -nianiutactured .at Ialittle .expenso 'and ofdurable construct-ion, 'fthe wearingl parts et which may be readilyreplaced or Kremoved for repair. v

These and other objects of the invention will 'be apparent from :thefollowing derrNsioNmG AND ANCnQrrNG Devien- 14, 1925.` serial No. 9,143.

scription made in connection with fthe fac.- companying drawings wherein,like :cha-ractors refer to similar Vpants throughout the several`views,-and in which Fig. 1 is a rear-elevation of `the curtainoper-ating mechanism mounted 'at the 'bacfkot the yproscenium walls of astage oritl-ieatre with the preferred tor-.m of invention mounted forr(')perative fuse Iin v(7;onnection with the Y endless fleXibe memberemployed-5 Fig. V12 is `a plan vl'eW of the'pref/lrrd form of theinvention 5 Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the -same5 and 'F L1 is aneend elevation ofy ther/saine.

'Fi-g. 1 the pressen-iam walls of -a stage of the `stage where Vthe'bottom loop thereof' A is .eno-aged fby the improved tensioning andanchoring ldev-ice.

The preferred form of the invention, as herein illustrated, comprises anyupstanding channeled fra-ine havin-g the spaced parallel sides -11re-enforced and spaced apart by mea-ns ot' the end bracing members 12and 13. The .diagonal bracing and guide member 14' extends transverselybetwen the sides 11. lEach -o-'t `the usides 11 are -ajflso providedwith a pair of 'concentric arcuate-slots 15 and 16, the correspondingslots en said sides being transversely alined. Apertures are pro-videdE1n ithe'sides -111 Vat the radial 4centers of said slots, through whichthe 'nutted bolt 1,7 is passed to lpivotally secure thereto a. pair ottparallel swingable arms 18 mounted :on lthe outer sides of the sides711,and baitingtransversely alli-ned apertures- -adjacent the :free `endsthereof in alinement with Y the outer arcuate slots 15. Through saidapertures an an-le pin 119 Liis adapted `,to 'bel passed, said pmhavinga flanged head Qt),

preterably of rectangitlar shape, adapted to engage against the vouterside Aolf .one of lsaid larms 18 and be detachably securedfthereto bymeans of the screw l2O?.

:The pin 1119 obviously is .adapted to work through the slots `v1'5 when:the armsl .are swung vand constitute ian axle tto-r V'the shea-ve "21mounted in the channeled portion ot the frame between the parallel sidesll. A bolt Q2 passes transversely through the arms ,18 and is adapted towork through the inner slots 1G, having a threaded end engageable by theWinged clamping nut 28. At the base of the 'frame out-turned securinglflanges or straps Qfl are provided, being apertured to permit the. baseof the frame to be secured to a fixed member. i

The flexible ineiriber, in the 'form of a rope oreable. mai,Y bereadil)T disposed about the sheave l b:v inserting a free end thereofbetween the diagonal guide lst and the sheave 21, whereupon the ends ofthe rope. or able may be secured together to make the saine endless. Itit is not desirablcto cut the cable, the axle pin l) may be readilyvremoved bv det-aching the screw 30a and removing tlie pin and sheave andthen encircling the loop about said shear3 2l and replacing the same inproper position on its axle lll. i

Obvioiiislv, when it is desired to take out the slack in the flexiblemember or increase the tension thereof, the winged mit 23 is loosenedand the parallel arms pushed downivardlv. as` desired, when the arms arethen again/rigidlv clamped against the sides 1l of the frame. i

While the invention has been illustrated lin `application upon curtainoperating apparatus, it is, of course., capable of Wide general usageWhere a tensioning or anchoiu ing device, for endless flexible membersis desired. The base of the frame may, ob-

i viouslv, be. secured to a vertical Wall, whereby the device vvill beapplicable to anchor or` tension `the looped end of an endless flexiblemember horizontally disposed.

All of the Working parts, with the exception oit' the sheave 21, aredisposed on the outer sides of the frame where they cannot interferewith the smooth ruiming of the flexible member. The device ismanipulated and adjusted by `means of the single Winged .g nut 23 on theouter side of one, of the arms 1S.

The axlepin ll) may be quickly removed,`

as has been stated, b v detachingr the screw EEG" anda neuvpin or sheaveinstalled or the old membersrepaired, thus a quick replacenient gf theWerking parts of this device, as Well as a ready .n'ieans for pro ici-lvengaging the loop of an endless flexible men'iber, is provided. e e

lt will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, proportions and arrangement of parts Withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention.

lVliatis claimed is 1. A tensioning and anchoring device for endlessflexible members comprising a frame having a substantially flat side,said side provided ivith a pair of concentric arcuate slotstherethrough, a sivingable arm pivoted at its lovver end Ion the side ofsaid frame on an axis passing through the radial centers of said arcuateslots, a transverse pin mounted on said arm and Working through theoutermost arcuate slot, a sheave jour nalled on said pin on the innerside of said :trame adapted to receive one of the loops of an endlessflexible member, ay clamping device extending through said arm and saidframe and through the innermost arcuate slot adapted to rigidly securesaid arm to said traine at a desired angle to the base thereof.

2. A tensioning and anchoring device for endless flexible memberscomprising a frame having a pair of spaced parallel sides, each sideprovided with a pair of concentric arcuate slots there-through, saidcoresponding slots in said sides being transversely alined, a pair of paallel swingable arms pivcted at their lower ends on the outer sides ofsaid frame on an axis passing through the radial centers of said arcuateslots, a transverse pin mounted between the free ends of said arms andWorking through said outermost arcuate slots, a sheave Iioiirnalled onsaid pin between the sides of said frame and adapted to receive one ofthe loops of an endless flexiblel member, a transverse clamping de viceextending through said arms and through said innermost arcuate slotsadapted to rigidly secure said arms to said frame at a desired `angle tothe base thereof, and a diagonal bracingr and guide. member transverselydisposed between said parallel sides of said frame.

3. A tensioning and anchoring device for endless flexible memberscon'iprisii'ig a frame having a pair of spaced pa allel sides, each sideprovided with a pair of concentric arcuate slot-s therethrough, saidcorresponding slots in said sides being transversely alined'. a pair ofparallel swingable arms pivoted at their lower ends on the outer sidesof said frame on an axis passing through the adial centers of saidarcuate slots, a transverse pin mounted betiveen the free ends of saidarms and Working through said outermost arcuate slots and a sheavejournalled on said pin between the sides of said frame and adapted toreceive `one of the loops of an endless flexible member, and atransverse clamping device extending through said arms and through saidinnermost arcuate slots adapted to rigidly secure such arms to said.frame at a desired angle to the base thereof, said axle pin for saidsheave carry ing an enlarged head at one end thereof adapted to bedetachabl)r secured to one of said arms.

In testimony whereof I atl-ix my signature.

WILLIAM it. BROWN.

Sil

